The Girl You Left Behind

More like 2.5
Weird book, not for young readers!!! It's about these two women who never meet as they're from different time zones but the book switches the focus to both. Sophie's life was hard in WW1 so I understand her decisions and how much she wanted to be reunited with her dear artist husband, but Livia was soo unlikeable I couldn't stand her. Her struggles were that her husband died, and that's all. She needs to sell her husband's dealer house just because she so wants to hold ‘The girl you left behind' painting that Sophie's husband made... She's very immature sometimes, and her relationship with Pol felt so weird and unrealistic, I hated some parts... yikes. Anyways, this doesn't mean the book is bad, just NOT for me! I liked the mystery part on the court and finding out about Sophie, but that's mostly it... Maybe if you like contemporary books with dual timing and characters, a bit of mystery, weird romance, and just confusing writing, this may be for you... I'm OUT!

Having loved “Me Before You” I didn't have to think too hard before buying Jojo Moyes new novel. A week before it's release I read the prequel novella “Honeymoon In Paris” which introduced the characters really nicely but it isn't essential as the book stands up on it's own without the additional novella material.

The story of Liv whose husband David passed away four years before, fracturing her world is heartbreaking. She meets an ex cop Paul who seems to offer a new relationship but just as they begin to get close he suddenly bolts from her home with no explanation.

It transpires his job is to reunite works of art stolen during wartime with their rightful owners and the painting Liv's late husband bought for her on their honeymoon is the centre of his latest case. Thrust onto opposing sides, fighting for the painting it seems destined to drive them apart.

This story is woven beautifully with that of Sophie Leferve, the subject of the painting in question and wife of the artist. Her story is one of a woman trying to survive in Fance in World War I and the sacrifices she made for her husband and family and her complex relationship with the German Kommendante in charge of her French village.

Beautifully written, gripping most especially evocative when dealing with Sophie's story and a fantastic tale of love and betrayal. Drawing resonance between Liv and Sophie's stories it was a great read.

This storyline was unlike anything I'd read before. It's dual POV. First, we begin the story of Sophie Lefevere during World War I in France. Her husband, an artist, is fighting in the war. Sophie's town is taken over by Germans and a Kommandant sees the portrait Sophie's husband painted of her and becomes obsessed. (No spoilers here.) Flash forward and we're now in modern day London with Liv Halston. She is in possession of Sophie's portrait, The Girl You Left Behind, which was a wedding gift from her late husband. She becomes involved in a bitter battle over the portrait once it's found in her possession.

It only took me like three weeks to read this because Depression™. But that shouldn't reflect on the book, because it was beautiful and interesting. So like I said, we start with Sophie's story, which is a harrowing one. Then in the MIDST of it, we're suddenly dropped into modern day London with a totally new character. EXCUSE ME. I was a little upset at first, not gonna lie. I wanted to finish Sophie's story, I had to know what happened. But then I did end up getting interested in Liv's world, so it was okay. The characters in the historical fiction part were real to me and fleshed out and living. The modern day characters were just okay. They felt a little like pawns in the game other than Liv, but eh, whatever.

Here's what I truly think. I think this would have been better as a single POV historical fiction, just totally cutting out the modern day part. BUT I did find it interesting the way she revealed what happened to Sophie. I don't want to give any spoilers, but as the synopsis states, there is a court battle over Sophie's portrait, which brings up a lot of found evidence. I've never read anything like that or the big reveal being made in a modern day courtroom in a historical fiction. So I was really interested in the setting. But I think I would have enjoyed it more without. That's the reason I've rated it four stars instead of five. I also felt the court battle was really drawn out and could have been at least 50 pages shorter. I truly loved Sophie and company and wanted to read about everything they did and what happened to them. It was heartbreaking and beautiful and I freaking sobbed at the end. It's truly a beautiful story of love and loss and the human condition.

Would I recommend?
If you've read anything else Jojo Moyes and enjoyed it, yes. If you like historical fiction, it's worth dual modern day POV. It's worth it.

It's taken me a while to sort out all my feelings about this book.. but I think I'm finally ready to write about it.

The Girl You Left Behind is esentially the story of a painting that is more than a painting to two women.. one past, one present. There's so much going on in this story but to be short:

Sophie is a woman whose husband (Edouard Lefevre) has been forced to fight and been imprisoned by the Germans in WWI. When he and Sophie first met, he painted a picture of her and captured the self that she doesn't seem to know anymore. She holds on to the painting as a reminder of the girl that she once was and the love that she longs to find again. Liv is a woman whose husband bought her the painting on their honeymoon and died a few years later. He said that the girl in the painting reminded him of her, and she holds on to the painting as the last piece of her husband that she has.

Enter the Lefevre family... they want the painting back because they believe it was unrightfully taken from Sophie by the Germans. Liv decides to fight the case, and there is a nasty battle revealing the truth about what actually happened so long ago.

So many historical fiction novels have been written about WWI, but this one is so refreshing and different because it explores the issue of Germans stealing art and the laws that are now in place for the recovery of that art.

Almost the whole first third of the book is dedicated to Sophie's story in Nazi Germany narrated in first person by Sophie.. the Kommandant takes over her hotel and forces her and her sister to cook for them every night. He meanwhile becomes obsessed with her, and she eventually finds a way to use his obsession to get his help in finding and reuniting with her husband. Throughout you learn Sophie's determined, head strong, and protective nature.

Then the book switches to Liv's point of view told in third person... you learn her struggle with loneliness and her longing to overcome the walls that she has built since her husband's death. She and Paul McCafferty begin to build a relationship that the case threatens to destroy.

Liv and Sophie are both extremely well developed characters that you can't help but feel for and hope for. The story seamlessly moves between them and never becomes confusing. There is so much wrapped up in 380-ish pages that the story is never slow but also never rushed. The writing truly is impressive. And the story idea is enlightening. Thank you Jojo Moyes for a fresh perspective on WWI!

There's so much more to say about this book that I just really can't find the words for... you should definitely go read it and you'll see what I'm talking about.